Precise biomedical measurements are possible in a wide variety of settings, such as central hospital laboratories, medical offices, and emergency rooms. These measurements typically use large analyzers that can weigh several hundred pounds and require significant technical support.
In contrast, point-of-care tests often lack the analytical sensitivity of larger analyzers. Lateral flow tests are used frequently in point-of-care settings and these tests typically have a readout of two lines: a control and a test line. These are read by visual inspection, yielding a qualitative answer. The nature of the readout prevents these types of tests from attaining high sensitivity and quantitative determination of analyte concentration.
It is therefore highly desirable to have improved instrumentation available at the point-of-care for accurate, precise, and quantitative measurements of various analytes.